Monday, December 11, 2017

The EU Outlier

"There is a growing feeling in Brussels that solidarity cannot be a one-way street, and that it becomes difficult to justify the ten billion-euro per year net transfers for a country that is increasingly at odds with the bloc's values.""It is high time the EU reacted, or it risks losing its soul."Bruno Dethomas, senior policy adviser, GPLUS consultancy, Brussels

"[It's up to Poles to show] the sick Europe of today the path back to health, to fundamental values, to true freedom and to the strengthening of our civilization based on Christianity."Jaroslaw Kaczynsky, leader, Law & Justice party, Warsaw

"Hostility towards the EU is part of Law & Justice's DNA, and if it was up to the party, Poland would leave the bloc.""But Kaczynski knows he can't do that because Poles are benefiting from EU membership. Hence, the party slowly builds a negative attitude towards EU -- while declaring that Poland has no intention of leaving."Marcin Matczak, law professor, Warsaw University

A couple hold flares as as thousands gather for the nationalist march of Poland´s Independence Day.

Photographer: SOPA Images/LightRocket

Leaders of the European Union in Brussels are resentful of the fact that the EU member receiving the greatest aid from the EU of its 28-member group appears to be slighting and bypassing the intention that all members must accede to the demands imposed upon them to accept the dictates of the European Parliament and European Commission in all matters directed toward the membership, inclusive of accepting their allocated share of the flood of refugees reaching Europe from Africa and the Middle East. Poland has been defying the EU's mandate to order its members' obligations.

Poland receives $270-billion in aid through to 2022 which it absorbs into general revenues to be used for everything and anything it sees fit in infrastructure improvement. The country benefits hugely by its inclusion in the European Union. Polish workers have the right to match their inclination to migrate wherever they wish to other EU member-states for employment; they represent the largest migratory worker group in Great Britain. And, like Britain, they have become a headache to the EU.

Poland's defiance -- under the leadership of Jaroslaw Kaczynski of the increasingly authoritarian Law & Justice party -- against knuckling under the directives of the European Parliament are increasingly worrying. To the EU. The EU is flirting with the imperative of exacting a penalty on any such member countries who flout EU disrespect for the EU's democratic rule of law. Germany, France and the Nordic states in particular would like to see some penalties imposed upon Poland for its refusal, among other things, to absorb refugees.

But of course, Poland is not alone in eastern European EU members refusing to take in Muslim migrants.

Poles are fundamentally nationalist in character, mostly agreeing with their new government's encouragement to remain so, and seeing validation in the statements of intent issuing from the U.S. Trump administration. Neither Poland's government nor its people feel compelled to absorb Muslim refugees. That the EU lacks unanimity to pressure Poland for its stance to strip it of its voting rights at EU summits, leaves the EU leadership fuming and Poland beyond punishment. For the present.

French President Emmanuel Macron warns that Poland could yet face consequences for defying the EU. The Dutch coalition government signed an agreement in October that specifies "subsidies should be reduced for member states that do not fulfill their obligations". The European Union prides itself on coercing all its members to fall into line from the most insignificant of market rules to the most urgent initiatives relating to the refugee-and-migrant invasion emergency of recent years.

That the Polish government additionally is in the process of finalizing legislation that would alter its Supreme Court and Judicial Council along lines more reflective of the current government's views, risks the basics of democratic convention, according to Poland's commissioner for human rights. "I will vote in line with my party. But this measure is a glaring contradiction to the constitution", commented a parliamentarian of the legality of court changes.

Kaczynski, who in the first place was a critic of Poland's 2004 entry into the European Union, lost when 78 percent of Poles were in support of EU membership. Entry on the conditions negotiated by Poland, he warned at the time, represented a "threat to fundamental values including independence and democracy." Certainly he was right on the issue of 'independence'.

Protesters hold a banner which reads, "Stop
the Islamization of Europe" during their protest against refugees in
Krakow (Image: Reuters)